Railway-switch.



A-. JONAS. RAILWAY SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 24, 1913.

1,095, 1 1 Patented Apr. 28, 1914.

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A. JONAS.

AILWAY SWITCH. APPLICATION FILED JULY 24, 1913.

Patented Apr. 28, 1 914.

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/L if J4 a UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALEXANDER JONAS, 01? PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-THIRD 'I'O JOSEPH SLATER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

RAILWAY-SWITCH.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 28, 1914.

Application filed .Tu1y 24, 1913. Serial No. 781,003.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER JONAs, a subject of the King of Hungary, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Railway- Switches, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in railway switches, and has for its object to provide an exceedingly simple and effective device of this character, whereby the switch point may be thrown to open or close the switch without the necessity of the engineer or person having control of the train or vehicle leaving his post.

A further object of the invention is to provide a switch which may be automatically thrown from the vehicle passing thereover, and further to provide a suitable mechanism under the control of the engineer, whereby said switch may be thrown when the train or car is approaching the same.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a mechanism for throwing the switch which is mounted upon the truck-of the locomotive and to provide means in reach of the engineer, whereby said mechanism may be operated to throw the switch in any desired direction. 7

Another object of the invention is to provide a mechanism for throwing the switch which is carried by each car at each end thereof, so that the switch may be thrown in any direction, by persons such as the trainmen on said car, thus enabling said trainmen to conduct the car to the proper track or switch when the cars are being shifted in the yard or when making up a train.

With these ends in view, this invention consists in the details of construction and combination of elements hereinafter set forth and then specifically designated by the claim.

In order that those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains may understand how to make and use the same, I will describe its construction in detail, referring by numerals to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, in wh1ch- Figure 1, is a plan View of a track at the swltch point illustrating my switch mechanism applied thereto. Fig. 2, is a side elevatlon partly broken away of a portion of the locomotive illustrating my switch throwing mechanism applied thereto. Fig. 3, is a plan view thereof, the body of the locomotive or tender being removed. Fig. 4;, is an enlarged plan view of the sliding plate which connects the different switch levers with the switch point the cap or cover being removed. Fig. 5, is a vertical sectional view thereof. Fig. 6, is a front elevation of a modified form of my switch throwing mechanism as applied to each car; and Fig. 7, is a side elevation thereof; and Fig. 8, is a plan view of the shoe.

In carrying out my invention as here embodied 2 represents the main track 3 the siding or branch track and 4: the switch point, the latter being connected by suitable rods 5 with the sliding plate 6. The sliding plate 6 has two openings 7 and 8 therein connected by a groove 9 in the underface of the plate 6, said groove having an arcuate projection 10 therein, which acts as a cam, and with which is adapted to cooperate the pin 11 projecting from the base plate 12, and in order to protect the parts from dirt, snow, ice and the like I cover the openings 7 and 8 with a cap or cover 13. In the sliding plate 6 are also formed two openings 14 and 15, in which are mounted the pintles or bearing pins 16 of the switch levers 17 and 18 respectively. The switch lever 17 is pivoted between the tracks on a suitable bearing as at 19 and the free end thereof carries a contact block 20, the ends of which are beveled as at 21, and said free end lies upon a rest 22 which acts as a bearing track or guide for said free end of the switching lever 17. The opposite switching lever 18 is similar in all details to the one just described, but it is provided with an additional or auxiliary switching lever 23, which is formed integral with said switching lever and projects at an angle therefrom from a point beyond its pivot 19, and said auxiliary switching lever is identical with the free end of either of the switching levers described. The free end of the switching lever 17 projects along the main track in one direction from the switch point, while the switching lever 18 projects along said main track in the opposite direction from the switch point, and the auxiliary switching lever projects into the siding, but at the same side of the switch point as one of the other switching levers.

.As a train or car approaches the switch point in any direction and wishes to turn the switch a suit-able mechanism carried thereby is brought into contact with one of the contact blocks 20 causing the same to be thrown to one side which will operate the switching leverscarrying said contact blocks and causesaidswitching levers to throw the sliding plate Gto one side. The force of the contact between the switch throwing mechanism and the contact block will cause the arcuate projection 10 to ride over the end of the pin 11 causing said pin to be disengaged fromone of the openings in the sliding plate and afterward engage the other opening which will lock the switch against accidental displacement in the position to which it is moved where it will remain until one of the switching levers is again operated.

]In Figs. 2 and 3 I have illustrated one form ofswitchthrowing mechanism in which 24 represents a bracket having a hanger 25 journaled therein to permit of a swing motion to said hanger and at the lower end of said hanger is journaled the shoe 26 which has a sidewise movement. ()11 the front end of the shoe is mounted the T head 27 and to the outer ends of the arms are fastened the ends of the chain or other suitable cable 28, the latter running over a sheave 29 which may be operated in any suitable manner, said operating means as here shown comprising a shaft 30- and a hand wheel 31. In order that the shoe 26 may be drawn up out of the way, so that it will not contact with the contact block when approaching a switch point, I provide a projection 32 on the hanger 25 to which is secured asuitable chain or cable running over guides 34 and connected with a sheave 35, which may be operated as here shown by a hand'wheel36. The shoe 26 like the contact block 20 is beveled from a point in front of its journal toward each end, the bevel toward the front being relatively long and gradual, so that when said shoe engages the contact block 20 it will do so gradually, thus preventing objects from being broken. It is to be understood that the shoe 26 is preferably mounted. along the longitudinal center of the locomotive, while the switching levers are so arranged that the contact block 20 will be slightly to one side of the switch in the direction desired.

center, so that when the shoe engages the contact block, the same will be thrown a suiiicient distance to operate the switch, and the direction in which the switch point to be operated is controlled by the direction in which the point of the shoe 26 is set, so that said shoe will contact with either one side or the other of the contact block 20.

In Figs. (3 and 7 I have illustrated a slightly modified form of my switch throwing'mechanism which is adapted for use on cars, one of which is mounted at each end thereof so that the trainmen or person on thecar may operate the same to throw the In this form of my device the shoe 26 is journaled on the hanger 25 which is pivoted in suitable brackets 24 carried by the car and said shoe is swung up toward the car, so as to be out of the way when not in use by a weight lever 37 to which is secured the counterbalancing weight 38, the latter being provided with some suitable means, such as a notch 39, with which registers the nose of the hook 40 secured to the car as at 4], whereby the shoe 26 may be held in its raised position until it is again desired to use the same. When the shoe 26 is in use the same is held against rearward movement by a stop 42 which depends from the car and which is engaged by the hanger 25. In order to operate the shoe 2G sidewise for throwing the switch levers I provide a yoke 43 which engages the arms of the T head 27, said yoke being pivoted as at 44- to the car and projects therefrom. To the side of the car is an operating handle 45. By throwing the handle 45 to one side or the other, the same will operate the yoke 43 about the pivot point it and cause said yoke to move the shoe 26 to either side. This form of my device will operate the switch levers in the same manner as hereinbefore described, causing the switch to be either open or closed without the operator having to leave his post, and without requiring a switching tower to attend to the same.

Of course I do not wish to be limited to the exact details of construction as herein shown, as these may be varied within the limits of the appended claim without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and useful, is-

In a device of the character stated a base plate mounted between the rails of a track at the switch, a sliding plate having a number of openings therein, two of which are connected by a groove, an arcuate projection extending into said groove, a pin carried by the base plate, either of the openings in said sliding plate adapted to register with said pin and be disengaged from said pin by said arcuate projection when the sliding plate is operated, means for connecting the sliding plate with the switch point, a pair of oppositely projecting switch levers pivoted between the rails of the track and pintles carried by one end of each of said levers adapted to register with the other openings in the sliding plate, an auxiliary switching lever formed integral with either of the first named levers and projecting therefrom at a point beyond the pivot point, a contact shoe carried by the free end of each of the switching levers and the auxiliary switching lever, said contact shoe being beveled toward each end, and means for supporting the free ends of said levers.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto aflixed my signature in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALEXANDER JONAS.

Witnesses:

MOLLIE ToBIAs, FRANCIS A. PosAoK.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

, Washington, D. G. 

